Apple's latest chip technology won't appear in the next-generation iPad

Apple's latest chip technology won't appear in the next-generation iPad until June 2012 at the earliest, according to a firm that tracks the mobile processor industry.

Getting new processor technology out the door (remember, Apple is also in the chip design business) is a Herculean task for even seasoned chip manufacturers like Intel. It will certainly be no different for Apple, whose next chip, dubbed the "A6," may not make an appearance in the iPad 3 until later in 2012, said The Linley Group, a chip consulting firm.

The rumored A6 is a major step-up in chip design. Not only does it contain four processor cores (the existing Apple A5 has two cores) but will use so-called 3D technology, Linley Group senior analyst Kevin Krewell said this week in a research note, citing a report in the Taiwan Economic News. Intel also announced 3D technology in May.

And on top of this, Apple will be switching to a new contract chip manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and be using next-generation 28-nanometer technology. Currently, Samsung makes Apple's A5 processor.

All of this takes time. "A final version of the chip will enter production in 2Q12 'at the earliest'... We believe this timing makes sense," Krewell said. "This pace would make the A6 one of the first 28 [nanometer] mobile processors (along with Qualcomm's MSM8960) to enter production. This schedule, however, breaks Apple's annual processor-upgrade cycle and will delay any products using the A6 until at least June 2012."

And if Apple keeps to its schedule and launches an iPad 3 in the first quarter of 2012, the initial version of the iPad 3 "will have to use the same A5 processor as the current iPad 2, relying on the rumored new high-resolution 'Retina' dis­play to drive the upgrade cycle," according to Krewell.

Krewell adds that he expects the quad-core A6 will be competitive with next year's best mobile processors, including an expected quad-core offering from Nvidia. That Nvidia chip is expected to power both Android and Windows 8 devices, including tablets and laptops. "Fabricating Apple's A6 in 28nm (instead of the 40nm process Nvidia is using for its quad-core part) will reduce both die cost and power, yielding a much better product," he said.

TSMC's 3D technology for Apple's A6 chip "could use 3D stacking to incorporate additional DRAM or flash memory, or to boost interconnect speed," according to Krewell.

Finally, he warns about the risks of switching chip manufacturers: "The foundry switch is not without risk...In the past, TSMC has had problems with new technology (for example, early 40nm yield problems and the Nvidia 'bump-crack' issue) that would be unacceptable to a demanding customer like Apple."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20097766-64/a6-chip-to-reach-ipad-3-later-in-2012-says-analyst/#ixzz1Y24llNQa